The present invention relates to timekeeping apparatus and, more particularly, to a novel programmable real-time clock for use in an energy load controller system.
It is known that the quantity of energy consumed, and the cost thereof, in a building can be minimized by allowing energy consumption to occur only at such times as benefit can be obtained therefrom. One approach to minimization of energy consumption in a building, such as an office building and the like, has been to utilize one or more employees, moving through the building, to switch off those loads which represent non-beneficial energy consumption. This approach does not, however, provide rapid control of energy consumption, due to the difficulty and expense of having personnel present at all loads at all times. An automatic system for controlling the energy loads is thus desirable, particularly where such system includes an accurate timekeeping means of high reliability (i.e., continues to keep time even if system power is lost) to addressably provide time data to the system for load control implementation.